It is well known that sometimes the soil or sewer pipes in a building become clogged to such an extent that the foul water will not flow through the pipes. Often the water stands in the vertical sewer pipe which leads up from the usual Y-shaped cleanout fitting which connects the sewer and soil pipes. A cleanout tool, such as an auger, is inserted through one branch of the cleanout fitting into the pipe in order to dislodge the mass collected therein. In ordinary practice, this branch of the cleanout fitting is closed by a screw plug which must be removed to permit the cleanout tool to be inserted into the pipe. When the level of the water in the pipes is higher than the cleanout fitting, the water gushes out through the opened branch of the fitting, causing a great deal of annoyance and sometimes considerable damage.
To overcome the above problem, there is known a sanitary pipe cleanout device which, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,051, is attachable to the Y-shaped cleanout fitting for permitting the controlled discharge of foul water from a clogged sewer or soil pipe. This known device, however, has only limited usability since it requires that a special adapter be substituted for the conventional screw plug, which adapter then permits attachment of a pipe cleanout device thereto. However, this adapter has to be mounted on the cleanout fitting during initial installation of the sewer pipe, so that this known device is substantially impractical from the standpoint of universal use. This known device is also structurally and operationally complex, in that it requires an elongated operating rod for removing the special screw plug, which also makes use of the device difficult and time consuming.
There is also known a device adapted for attachment to a Y-shaped or T-shaped fitting associated with a gas line to permit changing of a gas meter. This device, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,148,690, utilizes a flexible sleeve which is sealed to one branch of the fitting. This flexible sleeve has an elongated pipe-like plug associated therewith for insertion into the end of the fitting after removal of the plug so as to permit bypass of the gas through the fitting, and hence removal of the gas meter. While the device of this patent is suitable for use with a gas line, it is designed specifically to permit the bypass of the gas through an alternate branch of the fitting, and hence closing off the branch of the fitting which is connected to the meter. This device is thus designed solely for use in a specialized application, and is totally unsuitable for use with sewer or drain lines. Further, the device of this patent is totally unsatisfactory for use with a drain line containing trapped water therein, since this device is not designed for use with a liquid, nor would this device accommodate a drain auger or other conventional cleanout tool.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved pressure relief device which is adapted to be attached to a conventional Y-shaped or T-shaped cleanout fitting as associated with a sewer or drain line, which apparatus permits the screw plug associated with the fitting to be removed, following which the trapped water can be discharged in a controlled manner, whereby the drain or sewer pipe can then have a suitable cleanout tool inserted therein for removing the mass of material plugging the pipe.
A further object of this invention is to provide an improved pressure release device, as aforesaid, which is adapted for attachment to drain pipes of different sizes without requiring any special adapters of the like.
Still a further object of the invention is to provide a device, as aforesaid, having the strength and rigidity sufficient to handle the liquids trapped within the pipe so that these liquids can be efficiently discharged in a controlled and confined manner, thereby preventing the uncontrolled discharge of these liquids and the undesirable damage and mess which often occurs without utilization of this device.
Another object of this invention is to provide a pressure relief device, as aforesaid, which can remain attached to the cleanout fitting after the trapped liquid has been relieved or removed, which device functions as a guide for the cleanout tool or auger as it is inserted into the drain pipe, whereby damage to the threaded end of the cleanout fitting is hence avoided.
A further object is to provice a device, as aforesaid, which can be manufactured economically, can be utilized in an easy and efficient manner, and is durable in operation.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with the problem being solved by the present invention after reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.